Warco WM16 CNC Conversion.

[noyloj]

If I sold them I wouldn't be able to play with them, or re-use them for my router project! It's very simple. Granted they are not ideal but many people who convert these machines seem to do so in phases. Using what is cheap and at hand provisionally to go onto adapt the build into something else. Hoss's plans breaks down into three phases. Mine begins as an adaptation of the second phase. It's not an attack on anyone here to say that this is how I intend to build my machine. I'm very happy if you've all found good solutions. If I had the cash, or wanted to, I would buy a kit and go down that road but I simply came here to build a machine THIS way. The pitfalls, and I'm sure there will be many, are part of the learning curve for me. The log here should provide evidence of these pitfalls for other people. I honestly don't see what the problem is. I was not foul mouthed or abusive toward anyone here, believe it or not I respect you guys, who many would consider to be a bunch of geeks, because I am a sad geek too! I hope you can understand that my abrasive manner is not any reflection on anyone here, and I certainly didn't mean to be understood as rude! It's just who I am since my accident. Happy CNCing!

[noyloj]

Right then. Me ballscrews arrived the other day. I need to machine an M10 thread near the end of the y axis screw... I don't have access to a lathe for screw cutting so I've ordered a good quality M!0 - 1mm die from ebay. I was going to use standard 1.5mm threading but was kindly reminded (by Komatias) that I may not get the die past the 8mm machined end. Thanks a lot! there is some degree of disagreement about the feasibility of cutting the thread by hand but although it doesn't seem to be the recommended approach a few people suggest that it can be done so I'll let you know how it goes. The problem seems to be keeping the die adequately square (perpendicular) to the ballscrew... I had initially hoped to put the screw into the a chuck held in my rotary table and make a die holder to put in the tailstock that could be allowed to travel as the thread progressed but since the 2MT tool holder in the HV6 is too small for the 16mm diameter screw this ain't gonna happen... however in a re-inventing the wheel moment of inspiration I thought it may just be a plan to try and hold the screw with the tailstock clamp which is nominally 18mm diameter(except for a bush at the back) or possibly to make a 16mm clamp that will fit into tailstock base... there may yet be hope! The mill proper has apparently been despatched today and will arrive in sunny France toward the end of next week I'm told... My UC300 motion controller, BOB and software were due to arrive today but it's snowing so who knows?

I should mention that aside from the missing thread... the screws seem pretty good!